Rail-joint.



H. SOUDEN & W. S. LEAHY. RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION HLED SEPT. 21, 1911.

1,012,023. Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

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IIIIIIIIIIIVI COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60-, VASHINHTON, D. C

H. SOUDEN & W. 'S. LEAHY.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21, 1911.

Patented Dec. 19,1911.

HARRY SOUDEN AND WILLIAM S. LEAI-IY, 0F LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

Application filed September 21, 1911. Serial No. 650,509.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY SOUDEN and WVILLIAM S. LEAHY, citizens of theUnited States of America, residing at Lebanon, in thecounty of Lebanonand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to rail joints of the class in which the securingbolts are each locked in place by a single wedge plate, and its objectis to provide a construction which is such as to prevent lateralmovement and binding of the bolts in operating the plate to lock thebolts, and to provide means for moving and locking the plate.

To this end the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forthand more particularly pointed out in the claims reference being had tothe accompanying, drawings in which,

Figure l is a plan view of a rail joint embodying the invention; Fig. 2,a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a transverse section on the line3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the rail joint showing the samein unlocked position with its wedge plate and bolts in position to belocked; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of Fig. l; Fig. 6 is a transversesection on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4:; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of one ofthe bolts; and Fig. 8 is a similar view taken at right angles to that ofFig. 7.

As shown in the drawings, 1, 1 represent the abutting ends of railwayrails and 2 a fish plate of the common form and construction providedwith holesv to receive a series of bolts 3 for securing the fish plateto one side of the rails across the joint. Engaging the opposite side ofthe rails is a second fish plate 4 of lesser thickness, the boltspassing through holes in the rails and corresponding holes in the fishplates, and engaging the outer side of this thin fish plate is a wedgeplate 5 formed with a series of notches in its outer face, these notchesforming a series of plane surfaces- 6 each inclined to the inner face ofthe plate. A series of key-hole slots 7 are provided in the plate, onein each of the inclined surfaces and extending through the plate toreceive one of the bolts 3. The round end opening 8 of each of the slotsis of suflicient diameter to permit the bolts to pass therethrough and aslot extending longitudinally from said opening is of a width to fitinto grooves 9 cut in the sides of each bolt, shoulders being formed bythe grooves to engage the inclined or wedge surfaces 6. The wedge plateis also formed with a series of vertical slots 10 extendingtherethrough, one opposite each of the inclined surfaces 6 and extendingparallel with said surface. A cut away portion or notch 11 in each boltforms a rib 12 between it and the notch 9 to engage the slots 10 whenthe bolts are inserted through the openings 8 and the plate then movedlongitudinally to engage the bolts with the laterally extending portionsof the key slots. Adjacent to its head each bolt is formed with anenlarged shank portion 13 which is of greater diameter than the diameterof the bolt in one direction and is of the same diameter in the oppositedirection. The fish plate 2 is formed with laterally enlarged openingstoreceive the shank portions'of the bolts and prevent the same fromturning.- When the bolts are inserted they are thus held with theirslots or grooves in position to be engaged by the wedge plate. A

To force the wedge plate longitudinally and thus set up the bolts tofirmly hold the.

parts, a wedge 14 is provided for each of the slots 10, which wedges areadapted to be in.

serted in these slots with their lower ends between one end of the slotsand the bolts,

after the bolts have been inserted through thewedge plate and said platemoved slightly to engage the grooves in the bolts with the key slots inthe plate. Each wedge 14 is formed tapering in the direction of its.

length and when the narrow lower ends of these wedges are insertedbetween the ends of their slots 10 and the bolts and then driven in,they will force the wedge plate longitudinally and at the same timeprevent the bolts from being bent and from binding in the key-slots byreason of their frictional engagement with-the wedge plate. If the wedgeplate should be driven longitudinally with a sledge to tighten thebolts, they would be bent in the direction of the movement of the platebecause of the sharp inclination of the surfaces 6, but by providing theslots 10 and a wedge in each slot to engage the bolt passing across theslot, each bolt is backed up by its wedge and the several wedges actingupon the wedge plate, will move it evenly and firmly into contact withthe bolts and tighten the same more effectually and with less strainupon the parts than as though the wedge plate be driven endwise. Theribs 12 on the bolts which engage the slots 10 give the bolts a doublehold upon the wedge plate so that the bolts cannot be stripped byforcing the wedges to place. Each wedge 14 is provided with a notch 15in one side for the engagement of a tool by means of which the wedge maybe extracted, and a set screw 16 is provided for each wedge passingthrough the wedge plate into engagement with the outer side of the wedgewhen driven to place to hold the wedges from accidental displacement.

Having thus fully described our invention what we claim is:

1. In a rail oint the combination with adjacent rail ends and a fishplate at one side of said rails, of bolts extending through said. fishplate and rails and provided with grooves forming shoulders, a wedgeplate formed with wedge surfacesto engage the shoulders on the bolts andwith key-hole slots to receive the bolts, and means for moving the wedgeplate longitudinally adapted to engage the bolts at the sides thereofopposite that toward which the plate is moved, to prevent the bolts frombeing moved laterally by the endwise movement of the plate.

2. In a rail joint, the combination with adjacent rail ends and a fishplate at one side of said rails, of a wedge plate formed with horizontallongitudinally extending slots and wedge portions, bolts extendingthrough the fish plate, rails and slots in the wedge plate and formedwith shoulders to engage the wedge portions, and wedges engaging thewedge plate at one edge and the bolts at their opposite edge to move theplate longitudinally and prevent the lateral movement of each of thebolts.

3. In a rail joint, the combination with adjacent rail ends and a fishplate, of a wedge plate formed with horizontal longitudinally extendingkey-hole slots and ver- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for fivecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

tically disposed slots extending obliquely to the plane of the innersurface of the plate and cutting through the key-hole slots, boltsextending through the fish plate, rails and key slots in the wedge plateand formed with ribs to engage the vertical slots, and means within thevertical slots engaging the bolts to move the wedge platelongitudinally.

4. In a rail joint, the combination with adjacent rail ends and a fishplate, of a wedge plate formed with longitudinally extending slots andhorizontal key-hole slots cutting the vertical slots, said plate beingalso formed with a series of outer wedge surfaces, bolts passing throughthe fish plate, rails and key-hole slots and formed with shoulders toengage the wedge surface, and wedges in the vertical slots between oneend of said slots and one side of the bolts to move the platelongitudinally.

5. In a rail joint, the combination with adjacent rail ends and a fishplate, of a wedge plate having a plane inner surface and a series ofnotches in its outer side forming a series of wedge surfaces, said wedgeplate being formed with vertical slots opposite the wedge surfaces andextending parallel therewith, and also formed with horizontal key-holeslots cutting the vertical slots, bolts extending through the fishplate, the rails and the key-hole slots in the wedge plate and providedwith grooves forming shoulders to engage the wedge surfaces and ribs toengage the vertical slots, wedges in the vertical slots between one endthereof and the bolts to engage the bolts and move the wedge platelongitudinally, and means carried by the wedge plate for securing thewedges in operative position.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

HARRY SOUDEN. IVILLIAM S. LEAHY.

\Vitnesses HARVEY S. PEFFLEY, ALLEN E. DILLMAN.

Washington, D. G.

